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FDA Takes Steps to Protect Children from Radiation Overexposure

GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - FEBRUARY 18: U.S. pediatric orthopedic surgeon Hugh Watts (R) gives his Palestinian student Dr. Alaa Azmi medical advice as they check the x-ray of an injured Palestinian February 18, 2004 at Al-Quds hospital, in Gaza City. Watts is a professor at UCLA and is visiting Gaza for 15 days to help Palestinian medical personnel and perform free operations on Palestinian children who are suffering from scoliosis. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)Getty/Abid Katib

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOX) — This week the Food and Drug Administration proposed new guidelines designed to limit a child’s exposure to radiation during routine medical scans. A recommendation St. Louis Children’s Hospital had already taken to heart.

In April, St. Louis Children’s Hospital became the first pediatric hospital in Missouri to acquire new FLASH CT scanner technology, which is designed to make X-ray scans safer for children.

“Children’s hospitals are well aware of the dangers inherent to medical radiation,” says Dr. Robert McKinstry, Chief of Radiology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Studies show the new technology cuts the amount of radiation emitted by a standard CT scanner by 75%. Another study shows that the average child undergoes more than 7 x-rays or cat scans before turning 18.

The radiation manager at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center Nathan Bennett welcomes this effort by the FDA to come up with new kid-friendly guidelines for such scans.

“Just because you don’t necessarily see radiation doesn’t mean its not bad,” said Bennette. “We don’t know the future affects of that is. We just got to protect our children.”

Bennett says Cardinal Glennon has taken its child radiation dose protocols and shared it with their fellow SSM adult hospitals to make sure kids always get the safest amount of radiation allowed for their age.

The FLASH CT is expected to be available to patients at St. Louis Children’s Hospital by mid-summer.